Raptors Republic

Quick Reaction: Raptors 86, Nuggets 95

Tough. Danny Green’s grade isn’t in the graphic – He was wily as ever on defense and did a lot of the tertiary playmaking tonight. Attacked close-outs, put Jamal Murray in tough positions in the post, and missed a few more shots than we liked. The grade for him is a “B”.

His compete level is as high as ever and he’s trying his darndest. With that being said, he’s utilized as a shooter, and he hasn’t brought that outside of 1 game this year. Disappointing to see him put up bricks in a game like this.

Couldn’t be anything besides an A+. He was tireless scoring the ball against a defense that only cared about him. His defense in the post was incredible and his effort on the glass was far above anyone else in this game. He’s a major star.

End of the game wasn’t particularly fun to watch – I don’t think he deserved the tech. He was awesome tonight, his defense at the rim was unparalleled. He held the Nuggets big men in check whenever he was on the court. He was really, really good.

He’s been tough to watch for a large part of this season and this game was no different. Having him build a brickhouse from downtown was excruciating. Kawhi put on his playmaker cap, and Anunoby wasted a lot of possessions. He also has the body to make a difference on the glass and I’d like to see more of that if the shot is missing.

Had an awesome first half. Loved when he snaked the pick n’ roll before spraying to OG for a triple. The second half was completely different, there was no energy in the ball and his lack of creation was a death sentence for the bench’s offense.

He spoke about getting weird and creative before the game. I liked his rotations, and for the millionth time this year, he isn’t capable of making these guys make shots. His offense and the players seem to be creating great looks, but the shot-making was sub-par. Liked the way he called the game, honestly. Terrific defensive game-plan.

Things We Saw

So. Much. Gang. Rebounding. The Raptors, and especially Leonard deserve credit in this one. The team was incredibly active around the rim and their effort there made this game as close as it was.

Jokic hit a layup in this one where his back was turned to the basket and it looked like he was playing “ball in a cup”. He’s an absurdly creative player, and a joy to watch. He’s the antithesis of anything you might think would work in the NBA, but man, he’s terrific.

We need some good health to come our way. This was a slog-fest that Leonard’s offense and the team’s superb defense forced into a close game. Short on creators, and even shorter on shot-makers. Lowry & co. can’t come back soon enough.